what photography related item did you buy this week?

[RichardC]

I feel ashamed of myself. I was supposed to not buy anything this god d--n weekend. But then pake posted so nice macro photos while I was dreaming of just good macro photos. So....

I thought I needed a Raynox DCR-250 to get where I want.
I also thought I need a new tripod. Not really satisfied with any tripod I have, actually. So....
A new travel tripod, carbon, very light weight. Cullman Carvao 816TC. But that will not do as "studio work" (if my hobby room is allowed to be called a studio). So....
A new big tripod, another Manfrotto. 190CXPRO3. I had before the 055XPROB, good stuff.
A ballhead for the Manfrotto, Uniqball UBH 35X-1. Seems great since I love the tilt function (and pan of course). It was Black Friday discount on this one!
A few Peak Design stuff on Black Friday discount, tech bag, wrist strap.

May I compliment you on your restraint.

 

[Brodhall]

May I compliment you on your restraint.

Question is - what happened to the Raynox?

 

[Bob in Pittsburgh]

Last week I bought an extended warranty for my reconditioned OM-D E-M5 Mkiii (which I reported previously).

The extended warranty arrived on Saturday. It is a piece of paper - about 3" by 4". It came packaged inside the same size box they would have used to ship an OM-D E-M1X plus a couple of PRO lenses. If they had put it in an envelope they could have shipped it with a 55 cent stamp. Really, it doesn't matter to me. Just seems like a bit of a waste.

 

[Bob in Pittsburgh]

Oh - and I guess this is at least partly photography-related. On Saturday I picked up a couple of WD backup drives, 2 TB each. One is to use as a Time Machine backup for the Mac Mini upstairs, and the other is to backup two Windows 10 laptops. I know there is a way to set up a single drive to backup both Windows and MacOS machines, but I opted for simplicity. After sales tax I think the cost was about 120 dollars for the two backup drives. Now all I have to do is remember to use them on a regular basis.

For the Time Machine drive, I think Apple encourages you to just leave it hooked up all the time so it can do incremental backups every hour or so. The Windows backup drive will be shared between two machines so that is not an option. I will be happy if I remember to update the Windows backups on a monthly basis.

 

[BosseBe]

Oh - and I guess this is at least partly photography-related. On Saturday I picked up a couple of WD backup drives, 2 TB each. One is to use as a Time Machine backup for the Mac Mini upstairs, and the other is to backup two Windows 10 laptops. I know there is a way to set up a single drive to backup both Windows and MacOS machines, but I opted for simplicity. After sales tax I think the cost was about 120 dollars for the two backup drives. Now all I have to do is remember to use them on a regular basis.

For the Time Machine drive, I think Apple encourages you to just leave it hooked up all the time so it can do incremental backups every hour or so. The Windows backup drive will be shared between two machines so that is not an option. I will be happy if I remember to update the Windows backups on a monthly basis.

I you have a USB connector on your router you could connect the drive there and always have it connected. That way you could set up automatic backups.

 

[Bob in Pittsburgh]

That is a good idea. Thanks, Bo!

 

[John King]

Oh - and I guess this is at least partly photography-related. On Saturday I picked up a couple of WD backup drives, 2 TB each. One is to use as a Time Machine backup for the Mac Mini upstairs, and the other is to backup two Windows 10 laptops. I know there is a way to set up a single drive to backup both Windows and MacOS machines, but I opted for simplicity. After sales tax I think the cost was about 120 dollars for the two backup drives. Now all I have to do is remember to use them on a regular basis.

For the Time Machine drive, I think Apple encourages you to just leave it hooked up all the time so it can do incremental backups every hour or so. The Windows backup drive will be shared between two machines so that is not an option. I will be happy if I remember to update the Windows backups on a monthly basis.

SYNCBACK is your friend ...

 

[mumu]

I bought DxO PhotoLab 4 solely to get its Deep Prime noise reduction tool. Cost me CAD$150 on a Black Friday sale. It's kind of spendy but, as someone on another forum pointed out, it provides a high ISO improvement that is a bigger jump than I've experienced between any of my m43 camera body upgrades. So, in that context, CAD$150 isn't too bad.

Here are a couple of examples where I've applied it to some low light photos I shot in Havana a couple of years ago. It's also a good example of why I like to shoot raw files: new technology can appear and give me an opportunity to improve on old photos. Note: Deep Prime only works on raw files.

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GX7 ISO2500

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G85 @ ISO3200. Notice how the colours on the beer can are much more saturated.

 

[Glevum Owl]

I bought DxO PhotoLab 4 solely to get its Deep Prime noise reduction tool. Cost me CAD$150 on a Black Friday sale. It's kind of spendy but, as someone on another forum pointed out, it provides a high ISO improvement that is a bigger jump than I've experienced between any of my m43 camera body upgrades. So, in that context, CAD$150 isn't too bad.

Here are a couple of examples where I've applied it to some low light photos I shot in Havana a couple of years ago. It's also a good example of why I like to shoot raw files: new technology can appear and give me an opportunity to improve on old photos.

A couple of very good points. For me, there’s also the added bonus of not having to worry (too much) about shooting with high ISOs.

I stumped up for the DxO upgrade then spent an hour or two breathing life into old RAW files, some taken over 10 years go.

I also bought the Nik Collection 3 and the Mac version of Affinity Photo & Designer for the M1 Mini I ordered that should arrive next month. The 27” 5K LG screen was delivered today. I am officially ‘spent out’.

 

[phigmov]

Nikon D600 body - feels good but also a lot lighter than my D700 (which has a definite tank-like feel).

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_1060483 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr

 

[ektar]

I must be under the weather, because I bought bupkus at retail for pre-Thanksgiving, Black Friday, BF weekend and Cyber Monday.
That's not to say I bought nothing; I have an FD mount Kiron 105/2.8 macro on the way, bought with a last 3 second bid on eBay. For about the same money, have an FD-mount 1.4x teleconverter on the way from Japan. It's scarce enough that I should be able to part with it if I don't find a use. Kinda bass-ackwards because of using a Metabones to shorten effective focal length, but those don't play well with FD lenses, so might as well go long.

 

[Quadna71]

A 58mm Gobe (3 peak) CPL for my 12-45 and/or 75-300 and an Olympus cable remote release.

 

[Quadna71]

We also ordered two boxes of Good Hangups in a 40ct package. They are metallic stickers that you apply to a wall, hold a picture up, and snap the included tiny magnet on it to hold in place. The adhesive is similar to a post it note in the way that it can be easily removed, but also adheres better than a post it note. If it ever loses it's adhering properties from relocating too much, you just gently clean in warm water and you are back in business.

We initially bought them for putting up maps of state parks we've visited on the walls of our RV, but it turns out they are great for decorating rooms with small posters, pictures, recipes or pictures on fridges that are stainless steel, etc. They were on sale for $7.64 compared to a normal price of $49.99 at which we would never have gotten them at that price.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DEAUV74/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[SilverShutter]

Finally decided to pull the trigger on an EPL-8. As I understand it, its an EVF-less EM10 mkI, so it will be a good second body, taking the place from my well-used EPM1. They go for very little money even in new condition on ebay.

 

[Slinky Malinki]

I just came back from a Kijiji meet-up where I exchanged a wad of cash for a pristine 40-150/2.8 Pro. Alas, I have to take it home and give it to my wife, who will hide it away until Christmas.

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[Panolyman]

A Kijiji meet up?
Explain please.

 

[Slinky Malinki]

A Kijiji meet up?
Explain please.

Kijiji is like Craigslist: buy, sell, exchange, etc. We met near my work so I could test the lens, which resulted in the swap of cash for lens. I have to say it felt weird to walk around with a substantial wad of cash in my pocket; I felt like I was heading off to bribe somebody or to pay-off my mafia debts!

 

[Panolyman]

Thanks Neil.
I had to google Craigslist as I wasn't familiar with that either.

Due to my deafness I sold all my vinyl albums a couple of years ago.
I met the guy in a quiet corner of a country car park and did the deal there.
It did feel a bit surreal when he handed over £1300 in brand new notes and asked my wife to count them while we transferred the records to his boot.
Hope you enjoy your recent purchases.

 

[Machi]

After long deciding between G9, E-M5III and E-M1II, the last one won.
G9 is nice camera but it's big and it lacks proper (RAW) live composite.
E-M5III has lots of advantages (size, USB charging, the same batteries as my E-M10II...) but
E-M1II is available for much better price and I also really wanted longer battery life than E-M5III can offer.
In the end I bought new E-M1II with 12-40 f/2.8 for the cost of E-M5III body only.

From joy to disappointment!
My first tests shows that camera works very well (hires is fantastic!) but 12-40 is seriously decentered/tilted.
At least 1/3 of image field is blurred on one side and it's even worse when used on EPM2 where it's practically half of image.

 

[ektar]

^^^^^
That stinks. What's the plan?